Makita USA’s XGT launch seems to be confusing some people, as their new “higher power” system is built around 18V form-factor tools, rather than what you would expect 36V/40V Max cordless power tools to look like.
A reader asked how Makita’s new XGT cordless hammer drill and impact driver combo kit compared to the brand’s 18V option.
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Frankly, I don’t know. So, let’s walk through some specs together.
Makita 18V Hammer Drill and Impact Driver Combo Kit
This is Makita’s latest brushless hammer drill and impact driver combo kit to date, model XT288T.
Makita 18V Hammer Drill
- Model XPH14
- Max Torque: 1,250 in-lbs
Makita 18V Impact Driver
- Model XDT16
- Max Torque: 1,600 in-lbs
- 4-speed power selection
Makita 18V Combo Kit Contents
- Kit bag
- 2x 5.0Ah batteries
- 45 minute charger
Price: $399
Buy Now via Amazon
Buy Now via Acme Tools
Makita 40V Max XGT Hammer Drill and Impact Driver Combo Kit
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Makita GT200D is their new XGT brushless hammer drill and impact driver combo kit.
Makita XGT Hammer Drill
- Model GPH01
- Max Torque: 1,250 in-lbs
- Electronic clutch
- “Active feedback technology”
Makita XGT Impact Driver
- Model GDT01
- Max Torque: 1,950 in-lbs
- 4-speed power selection
Makita XGT Combo Kit Contents
- Kit bag
- 2x 2.5Ah batteries
- 28 minute charger
Price: $449
Makita 18V vs. 40V Max XGT Voltage Differences
Let’s start with voltage.
You might think there’s a big difference between “40V Max,” which is simply another way marketers describe 36V Li-ion cordless power tools and batteries, and 18V tools, but it depends on the circumstances.
Back when Dewalt introduced their 15-cell 60V Max and 120V Max cordless power tool systems, Makita often said in press releases about their 18V X2 tools that “voltage is only part of the story.”
According to Makita USA:
“When contractors search for a cordless replacement for a corded tool, voltage is only part of the story,” said Carlos Quintana, Sr. Product Manager, Cordless, Makita U.S.A. “Watt hours, the product of amp hours and nominal voltage, measures the amount of performance performed by the tool and is a better efficiency indicator.”
Watt hours is calculated by multiplying nominal voltage and amp-hours [and] it is a key indicator of battery capacity and run time.
Watt-hours is a measure of energy, and Makita describes it as the amount of performance performed by the tool.
The 18V combo kit comes with 2x 5.0Ah batteries, and the 40V Max XGT (36V nominal) combo kit comes with 2x 2.5Ah batteries.
Let’s do some math.
Makita 18V 5.0Ah battery: 18V x 5.0Ah = 90 watt-hours
Makita XGT 2.5Ah battery: 36V x 2.5Ah = 90 watt-hours
For external comparison:
Milwaukee M18 5.0Ah battery: 18V x 5.0Ah = 90 watt-hours
Dewalt 20V Max 5.0Ah battery: 18V x 5.0Ah = 90 watt-hours
The 2.5Ah 40V Max batteries in this Makita XGT cordless power tool combo kit have the same watt-hours energy rating as the 5.0Ah batteries in Makita, Dewalt, and Milwaukee 18V and 20V Max cordless systems.
Last year, when comparing different brands’ cordless systems, I wrote:
The XGT system kind of makes sense, but not really. An 18V 5.0Ah battery and a 40V Max 2.5Ah battery have the same number of cells – can the XGT system really deliver “the next level of cordless solutions for higher demand applications?”
15 months later, I’m still wondering the same.
Many brands have added higher-performing and higher capacity battery packs to their 18V and 20V Max cordless power tool systems, something Makita has suggested they will not do with their 18V system, but will do in their XGT system. Watt-hours will likely become a more visible comparative metric, as will the physical size of the Li-ion cells.
For instance, Makita has an 18V 6.0Ah battery, but while it has the same watt-hours rating as other brands’ 6.0Ah batteries, it’s difficult to compare batteries built with 18650 cells against those built with 21700 cells without qualifications.
The 18V and XGT batteries discussed here are both built with 18650 Li-ion cells.
Compared to Makita’s 18V batteries, XGT batteries have double the voltage and half the charge capacity. What will this mean for users looking at similar tools in both lineups, such as here, for whom nothing beyond these two kits matter?
With the XGT and 18V batteries having the same watt-hours rating, what benefits do these 40V Max XGT 2.5Ah batteries hold over Makita’s 18V LXT 5.0Ah batteries?
Does 18V vs. 36V/40V Max matter when comparing just these tools? I’ve come to the conclusion that it only complicates things. In this case the watt-hours are the same, and so we can disregard voltage as a meaningful difference between these two combo kit options. But, I’m open-minded – can you add anything to convince me that it’s important in this context.
Makita 18V vs. XGT Torque Specs
Both 18V and XGT drills are said to deliver the same 1,250 in-lbs of max torque.
The XGT impact driver looks to have a slight advantage over the 18V impact with a higher max torque rating.
Makita 18V vs. XGT Features
Both of the impact drivers look to have comparable features, such as 4-speed power selection.
The drills are a bit different. On their website, Makita only says that the XGT has an electronic clutch with 41 settings in low speed and 21 settings in high speed.
(Personally, I tend to favor mechanical clutches over electronic clutches, as I find them to be more accurate and repeatable in lower torque application.)
It looks like you have to push a button or spin a dial to cycle through all of the clutch settings. We asked Makita USA for clarification and never heard back.
The XGT drill has “active feedback-sensing technology” which turns the motor off if it senses that an attached accessory has suddenly stopped rotating. Makita doesn’t explicitly describe this as anti-kickback tech, but unless there’s a differentiation unknown to me, that’s what it sounds like.
Makita touts the XGT system as having rare earth magnets, pure copper wire, built-in microchips, and digital communications. However, as far as I am aware, other brands’ modern brushless power tools have similar features.
Makita 18V vs. XGT Battery Charging Time
Given that the XGT battery has a lower charge capacity, at 2.5Ah vs. 5.0Ah, it takes a lot less time time to recharge – 28 minutes instead of 45 minutes for the 18V battery. This is with the included chargers.
Makita says this about the XGT charger:
display indicates battery charge level (-80%, +80%, 100%)
It’s unclear what this means (-80%?), but many modern chargers have similar charging state indicators.
Makita 18V vs. XGT Speed
There are on-paper differences in max no-load RPMs, which explains the higher max torque of the XGT impact wrench.
18V Hammer Drill: 0-550/0-2100 RPM
XGT Hammer Drill: 0-650/0-2,600 RPM
18V Impact Driver: 3,600 RPM/3,800 IPM
XGT Impact Driver: 3,700 RPM/4,400 IPM
This could be tied to the higher voltage motor, higher power draw from the batteries, neither, both, or something else entirely.
Makita 18V vs. XGT Weight
18V Hammer Drill: 6 lbs with battery
XGT Hammer Drill: 6 lbs with battery
18V Impact Driver: 3.4 lbs with battery
XGT Impact Driver: 3.7 lbs with battery
The drills have the same weight, and the XGT impact driver is marginally heavier compared to the 18V.
Makita 18V vs. XGT Length
18V Hammer Drill: 7″
XGT Hammer Drill: 7-1/8″
18V Impact Driver: 4-9/16″
XGT Impact Driver: 4-3/4″
The XGT tools are marginally less compact compared to the 18V.
Makita 18V vs. XGT Kit Pricing
$399 vs. $449 might not seem like a big difference, but $399 is a lot for a drill and impact driver already.
Home Depot had a deal earlier this year, where you buy this particular Makita 18V combo kit for $399 and get (2) free 5.0Ah batteries plus a screwdriver bit set.
There are similar deals other times of year. Last winter holiday season, retailers had an offer where you buy the Makita 18V hammer drill and impact driver combo kit and could get 2 free bare tools or batteries included in the $399 price.
It’s unclear as to what Makita’s XGT marketing will look like, and whether there will be any promotions, discounts, or free tool bundles similar to their regular 18V LXT system promos.
Makita 18V vs. XGT Differences Summary
Looking at these two drill and impact driver combo kits, it seems that the XGT drill has a different clutch with more settings, and what sounds to be anti-kickback tech. The 18V and XGT hammer drills have the same max torque, and the XGT impact driver is a little more powerful than the 18V model. XGT RPMs are a little higher.
The batteries included in both kits pack the same energy – 90 watt-hours. The 2.5Ah XGT battery charges faster than the 5.0Ah 18V battery.
Unless anyone can suggest or explain otherwise, the 18V vs. 40V Max voltage difference doesn’t seem to be very meaningful here. Maybe there will be more notable differences with future hammer drill and impact driver releases. Thus, for simplicity, it seems that we can ignore the 18V and 40V Max voltage considerations entirely and pretend we are comparing two competing 18V options.
The 18V kit has an advantage when it comes to the regular retail price. Makita’s flagship 18V hammer drill and impact driver combo kit is occasionally featured in special promos with added-value products, such as free bare tools and batteries, and it is unknown as to whether Makita will offer the same incentives for the 40V Max combo.
If you ignore promo pricing considerations, $399 gets you an 18V kit, and $449 gets you the XGT 40V Max kit with some feature differentiations and a bump-up in certain specs. Makita USA has not answered questions about if any of these features will be coming to the 18V line.
If you had to choose, which option would YOU go for?
If I were shopping for a new heavier duty hammer drill and impact driver combo kit and could only choose between the two Makita combos discussed here, I’d wait around for the next Makita 18V promo, where you can get a lot more for $400 than just a hammer drill and impact driver kit.
If for some reason Makita unexpectedly discontinued all promos on their 18V combo kit, I’d find a way to spend a little more for the XGT’s features – if they prove to be advantageous. The anti-kickback feature sounds appealing (and I don’t understand why Makita wouldn’t add this to their newest 18V hammer drill), although as mentioned I haven’t had great experiences with electronic drill clutches.
The electronic clutch could be a moot point for me – I generally use compact cordless drills (as opposed to heavy duty 1000+ in-lbs torque drills) or cordless screwdrivers when working with smaller fasteners, and impact drivers for medium-sized and larger fasteners. I have not yet had great experiences with any 18V-sized heavy duty super-torque drill when driving in smaller or shorter fasteners. I also don’t usually use a clutch in drilling mode (should I be?).
Buy Now: Makita 18V Combo via Amazon
Buy Now: Makita 18V Combo via Acme Tools
Buy Now: Makita XGT Combo via Amazon
See Also: Dewalt 20V Max XR Combo via Amazon
See Also: Dewalt FlexVolt Advantage Combo
See Also: Milwaukee M18 Fuel Combo via Tool Nut
Mike McFalls
As a Makita platform user; I don’t understand the launch of XGT. Why makita went this route versus expanding the popular x2 system doesn’t make a whole lot of sense when you consider that the battery cells are the same. They could’ve easily moved to 21700 cells and went with larger capacity (10ah batteries for instance).
I recognize the argument that the single battery on the x2 tools weighs less. That’s certainly true but if the primary advantage is weight, they could’ve done more with that lineups tools to reduce the weight.
To me it feels like Makita was feeling some heat from the rapid product growth of Milwaukee and Dewalt and rushed out a platform I’m not sure was being asked for.
Not to mention (yeah the 6 different model impact drivers is dumb to count as individual tools) but they have a system with 250+ tools. Up the specs on those tools and release higher capacity batteries. Add some features that people have asked for.
Seems to me their product roadmaps and leadership is very disjointed. I mean is is a company that makes a hammer drill/drill driver/ impact hybrid. The only thing wrong with that tool is the electronic torque. Make that mechanical and it’s a homeowners dream. They also had the foresight for coffee makers, but haven’t released a belt Sander or table saw. Who was clamoring for a coffee maker over a cordless table saw?
Also to not make the batteries backwards compatible like Dewalt (and I’ll admit I still, despite extensive effort, don’t understand the dewalt flex, atomic, max lineups; at least Dewalt made their batteries “mostly” compatible across all lines) was a huge miss! A Huge miss!
dave jones
have 40v max batteries not only allows lower weight, it reduces the dimensions of the tools compared to 18v X2. Also it allows 80max when using 40v X2 which is being used on sds max drills and concrete breakers etc. Makita made a wise decision.
Mike McFalls
Agree with the change in dimensions on saw a circular and reciprocating saws and their 9″ grinder; but in the vacuum, miter saw, etc… the tool size is driven by other factors.
To me its not a compelling enough reason, even combined with the weight benefit and other ancillary benefits to launch a new line on the same battery cells.
I mean was any toolguy’d reader not buying into Makita because of th tool size and weight of the Makita x2 lineup? How many other customers are not? I’m not an expert and its just my opinion here; but people buy into a platform with the drill/driver (a lot of the time) and if happy make the choice to stick with a single battery platform unless needed a tool which isn’t offered. I don’t see most people starting their tool lineup with the XGT based on the limited tool lineup currently offered and when there is so mush being offered by Red, Yellow and now “Black” (Flex); not to mention how much Ryobi and other brands are entering the prosumer lines.
Jared
Good point about how many consumers enter into a battery line – but I think there are other factors to a brands success too.
E.g. a non-pro consumer might buy a new drill/driver for use around the house and then add a couple tools to that because they already have the batteries. I think this happens a lot with the seasonal promotion tools and/or the entry level lineups.
How many consumers are buying $500 drill/impact driver sets on a whim though? I think at those price-points, you’re buying the set because of what it can do. Probably some degree of research and consideration is at play.
I expect that’s where a consumer might be concerned with what other tools are in the lineup – or step up to the $500 set because they need more power and features and were happy with their $99 promotional-buy drill from the same brand. XGT though, doesn’t yet have that kind of entry point.
Those factors, combined with a lack of backwards compatibility, make XGT seem like a bit of an odd duck. To be marketable, it seems like it has to have some advantage over its competitors. Something the 36v lets it achieve that others can’t. If that advantage exists, I’m fuzzy on what it is (and just like other toolguyd readers – clearly I’m paying attention and TRYING to figure it out).
The advantage doesn’t need to be related to the 36 volts entirely. E.g. if the switch were required to power more power hungry tools, even though this wouldn’t make 36v better than M18 fuel or Dewalt flexvolt, maybe the selling point could be that Makita offered an extensive lineup of unique tools or had some other innovative tech (and then 36v could just be ancillary – something to make sure the lineup kept up with the Joneses).
Rob
You’re missing the point: x2 “80”v
The drills and stuff are just so you don’t have to bring your 18v kit if you don’t need. to.
Obviously, if you’re swimming in all sorts of LXT tools, especially niche stuff, that won’t ever happen. But for a lot of residential and commercial construction, they pretty much have a basic kit.
OPE is a huge deal in cordless tools right now and they’re aiming at 80v lawn and garden just as soon as they’re done conning enough people into buying the 40v versions beforehand.
Stuart
I don’t understand it either.
(With respect to Dewalt FlexVolt being backwards-compatible with 20V Max, Metabo HPT/Hikoki also has a MultiVolt battery that fits their 18V and 36V tools.)
Tim E.
My understanding was doing 18V/LXT batteries with 21700 sized cells was a no go, because it breaks compatibility with 18V X2 tools. Physically, the space between the battery connectors on most tools cannot accomodate the increased battery dimensions typical for 21700-based packs.
That said, I completely agree with the XGT launch. A lot of the higher power tools look like repackaged 18V X2 tools. Watt-hour capacity of the battery(ies) is the same, so power draw capability is about the same. There’ll possibly be some efficiency gain from a higher voltage motor as the baseline, and then 80V on the x2 kits, but that wouldn’t be enough I don’t think to come up with THAT much more power.
I think they’re trying to launch XGT to get people to buy into it, and build up the branding and tools and then introduce higher capacity battery packs based on 21700 or similar cells, that way they can pay for some of the 21700 costs with XGT tool money. I probably would have waited and launched XGT entirely as a 21700 or similar based battery system, helped differentiate it from LXT, and never just “rebranded” 5Ah LXT packs into 2.5Ah 40V packs. I think that more than anything to me screamed “cop out”, just flip a couple spot weld tabs to series the pack instead of parallel, and presto, new XGT battery pack.
The other possibility there is they purposely wanted to launch with smaller battery packs, knowing they were launching with drills and drivers and the like. Since they can’t do a compact pack like Milwaukee’s 3Ah high output, they’re always going to have a double-row pack, and with 21700s, those would look like Milwaukee’s 6Ah/8Ah packs, and those would be the smallest packs available. Throw that on an impact driver, and it’s a pretty big battery. So just the optics of launching physically smaller tools with mandatorily-large battery packs may have also played a factor, now they have picture-able battery packs, and can make larger ones to picture with their larger tools later on.
Stuart
But that’s the thing – 18V x 5.0Ah = 36V x 2.5Ah. An 18V X2 tool with (2) 5.0Ah batteries will have 2X the watt-hour capacity of a 2.5Ah battery used in an XGT tool.
XGT will have a 4.0Ah battery that still won’t provide the watt-hour capacity of 2x 18V 5.0Ah batteries (180 vs 144 Whr).
XGT will also have what looks to be a massive 5.0Ah battery with is presumed to have 20 Li-ion cells. That will match up the watt-hours of 2X 18V 5.0Ah batteries, but at 20 cells in two batteries vs. 20 cells in one battery, there isn’t going to be a lot of weight savings.
For reference, Milwaukee M18 HD batteries and Dewalt FlexVolt batteries each have 15 cells. If Milwaukee starts doubling up batteries in 2X-like tools, and Dewalt starts expanding their 120V Max system with 2X FlexVolt batteries, comparisons will end up being 30 cells vs. 20 cells. If Makita then has tools that take advantage of two of those 20-cell batteries, it becomes a messy comparison between 30 21700-sized next-gen cells vs. 20 21700-sized cells or 40 18650-sized cells for Makita (4.0Ah and 5.0Ah packs).
Makita XGT X2 for 80V Max with the 4.0Ah battery will have 20 21700-sized cells, which could provide even competition against single-battery Dewalt FlexVolt and Milwaukee M18 offerings in the same way 18V X2 compared against nascent FlexVolt and pre-High Output M18 Fuel tools designed with the 9Ah HD battery in mind.
The confusion I have is because Makita touted up XGT as a one-platform solution, and they harped on other brands’ “batteries too large to put on an impact driver,” but their 20-cell 5.0Ah battery would be even larger than other brands’ 15-cell batteries despite packing lower watt-hours (12Ah batteries will best it in that department).
18V reached performance limits since Makita opted not to have higher-output Li-ion cells for whatever reason, and so something new and different was necessary. Maybe a 20V Max system would have made more sense in a vacuum, but alongside the 18V system that would have been a huge marketing mistake unless there was some type of cross-platform adapter. Even here, I don’t understand why they couldn’t have any kind of adapter.
18V vs. XGT is not a productive conversation to have right now since there are way too many questions than answers.
Will XGT features come to the 18V system? Will 18V tools come to the XGT system? Nobody knows and Makita USA ignored my questions until I realized they were never going to answer the questions or have the courtesy to say as much.
I was asked to make sense of the 18V vs. XGT drill and impact combo options, and it seemed reasonable and interesting to try.
Rob
Not for or against this logic but I am aware that Makita has been marketing the fact that the 5ah 18v and 2.5ah 40v batts are aeroplane friendly.
Rob
I have both, what do you want to know? The XGT drill is significantly narrower than the XPH14. Both are smaller than the XPH07. The XGT Impact driver, while styled after the XDT16/TD171 is a tad larger all around. Bigger anvil, bigger gearbox.
Both XGT are louder due to larger fan openings and possibly larger fans (have not peaked inside yet). Gears sound bigger. Triggers feel a smidge nicer. Overall feels a slight bit more premium but still not Mafell/Festool territory.
The electronic clutch is implemented in a dumb way compared to Festool, Metabo and the old Bosch from the 1990’s (newer models use a mechanical/electronic hybrid design). It works pretty good.
Chucks on the XGT and XPH14 are exponentially better than the one on the XPH07. Both drills use the same dumb horseshoe side handle instead of the standard ring style you see on all German tools.
I’ll use my real email this time instead of my usual burner/spam account and will click for notifications so, ask away.
Stuart
Thanks! I won’t say no. If you’re up to it:
How’s the repeatability of the electric clutch? Is it useful for smaller fasteners are not really as with other models?
How much do you have to cycle the dial/button to get from the lowest to the highest clutch setting? Are you used to the non-traditional adjustment mechanism?
Do you feel that the tools are functional upgrades, or merely *different*, with respect to performance?
Rob
At home now, away from an actual computer with a keyboard, so I will reply, dutifully tomorrow. In the meantime, look up “Tools & Stuff” on YouTube. He’s had these things for over a year now and has a ridiculous amount of content.
https://youtube.com/c/ToolsStuff
Stuart
No rush – this week, next month, 2022 – I appreciate any input. =)
rob
I typed a loooooong reply, but I keep getting a 404 error (“page not found”) when I press “Post Comment”.
Is there a character limit?
Ben
My biggest beef and thing that will most likely prevent me from buying into the XGT line is simply lack of backwards compatible. I get the point that they don’t want to use the 21700 cells in batteries for the LXT line because they simply do not fit in a number of LXT tools. However I think that is a poor excuse and it would have more than acceptable if they would have made the tool lines mostly compatible. it would have not been difficult to say all LXT batteries fit all LXT tools, all XGT batteries fit all XGT tools and most or some LXT tools.
Jim Felt
Whoa. I’ve finally figured out what they’re doing here. They’ve added more black to the products and especially the bag.
Lamest differentiator I can recall from Marketing and/or Design 101.
I think we worked with their US ad agency long ago and clearly remember thinking that I as an amateur tool user (and Makita 9.6v NiCad system owner) knew better then the art director I was visiting. Something I seldom to never saw with better informed agency people.
Chris
This is why I think LXT is done in the near future, but Makita doesn’t want to say it. These are 18 V tools redesigned for 40 V batteries. They will release upgraded XGT versions of LXT tools, so everything from “traditional” 18 V tools up through heavy duty 40 V x2 will run on the same 40 V battery. “One system,” as in, “we will only have a 40 V system going forward.”
It doesn’t seem like a bad idea, but they know people get annoyed when battery platforms get phased out. Which is why they are being intentionally vague.
LXT is 16 years old, so it was a good run. Everything becomes obsolete eventually.
rob
Except if you look outside of NA (which is only 15% of their revenue) you’ll find all sorts of Makita battery platforms concurrently receiving nearly identical tools.
Robert
I have the 18V kit.
Like you said, its a good deal with the added bare tools promotion.
I got mine from Acme tool with a grinder and skilsaw.
Plus Acme threw in another 2 batteries and a discount on the high torque impact driver (which is phenomenal btw)
I probably wont be getting any of the XGT line, I feel like other brands offer more tool diversity for the cost.
Thats not to saw I dont like my Makita’s though, i do really enjoy them.